Formed in Germany in 1974
just before the Disco explosion took Europe, the USA and the World by storm in
1976 and 1977 – the three ladies of SILVER CONVENTION were essentially a front vocal
group for the songwriting of Sylvester Levay and Michael Kunze – sort of Europe’s
answer to Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers.Lead by New Yorker vocalist Rhonda
Heath (Penny McLean and Roman Wulf were the other two) – the musical mix of
American Bass-Driven Funk with Euro Strings taking centre-stage over the
backbeat gave Silver Convention their hugely commercial radio-friendly sound.The “Summernights” album (called
“Golden Girls” in the USA and Australia) was originally released May 1977 on
Jupiter Records 280966-OT (Tracks 1 to 9 on the CD). This June 2015 British CD
Remaster on Big Break Records CDBBR 0284 (Barcode 5013929058439) features a new
NICK ROBBINS Remaster done in London’s Sound Mastering that’s amazingly clear
and full of life and pluck. There are also two BONUS TRACKS – “Telegram (Single
Version)” which cuts down from the album track from 5:33 to 3:00 minutes - and “Ain’t
It Like A Hollywood Movie (12” Disco Version)” which extends the LP cut from
5:08 to 7:41 minutes.You get the usual
classy-looking 12-page booklet from BBR – this time with photos of the ladies
in their Disco refinery, rare European 7” single picture sleeves and detailed/informed
liner notes by THOMAS DEL POZO – a writer and researcher based in Toronto (who
thanks Rhonda Heath for her recollections). The Expanded CD runs to 50:54
minutes.The full album cut of “Hotshot”
(issued as an edited 7” single) boogies along for six minutes and is just the
kind of groovy Funk-with-Strings High Energy number those disc-spinning jocks love.
You wouldn’t quite say it was CHIC – more a Three Degrees by way of Philly variant.
In fact stuff like “Wolfchild” would have been on an MFSB album just without
the vocals. “Telegram” is very cheesy Abba Eurovision fodder (the song represented
Germany in 1977 and finished in 8th place) – better is the Disco
vibe to “Ain’t It Like A Hollywood Movie”.“Summernights” is not all brilliant
by any stretch of the imagination - but fans of High Energy and Euro Disco with
Strings will love the quality Audio and decent presentation...

SOME OF MY E-BOOKS FOR SALE on AMAZON

About Me

To date I've over 3500 posts/reviews and 80+ Listmania Lists on Amazon UK - most are for quality music CD REMASTERS and FILMS on BLU RAY.

I'm a Top 15 Reviewer on Amazon UK and have been a 'Hall Of Fame' Reviewer for some years now...

They feature recommendations from years of trawling through digipaks and flicks. I tend to highlight reissues and remasters that have slipped through the net and movies on DVD and BLU RAY that deserve your attention/reappraisal.

My music reviews are in-depth - focusing on decent remasters - interesting imports - rarities - info that helps a purchase decision etc. And I often provide a Discography for Box Sets and multiples and detailed track lists for reissues.

Loved the awesome re-issues of Steve McQueen by PREFAB SPROUT and Strangers Almanac by WHISKEYTOWN [with Ryan Adams]. The three definitive Bear Family Series - Street Corner Symphonies (1934 to 1958 Vocal Groups), Blowing The Fuse (1945 to 1960 R'n'B - most reviewed) and Sweet Soul Music (1961 to 1975 - all 15 reviewed).

Check out the beautiful Scottish Folk of Black Water by KRIS DREVER (2006) and the Sahara rocking beat of TINARIWEN'S Aman Iman - Water Is Life. 2011 saw Jethro Tull's Aqualung receive a stunning makeover by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree and 2012 has Just As I Am by Bill Withers be given a top remaster by Big Break Records of the UK. Loving the 2013 Japanese SHM-CD reissues of J.J. Cale and the 2012 to 2015 Japan-Only Atlantic 1000: Best R&B Collection (see Joe Turner reviews). Small Faces Here Come The Nice and The Blue Nile's Hats & Peace At Last Deluxe Editions for 2014. Digging Edsel's 4CD Box Sets For The Beat and The Sound - superb. Edsel's Wilson Pickett and Percy Sledge CD Reissues from late 2016 are also superb.

Films - The Help, Lincoln, The Bands Visit, Man On A Ledge, The Grey, Mr. Nobody, Third Star, Caramel, Easy-A, Crash, United 93, The Insider, Death To Smoochy, Babel, Kinsey, Bright Star, Stranger Than Fiction, Imagine Me & You, The Namesake, After The Wedding, Seraphim Falls, Michael Clayton, Frankie Go Boom, Infamous, Gran Torino, The Blind Side, Invictus, Crazy Heart, Ondine, Amelie, Four Lions, Young Victoria, Untouchable, Jo Nesbo's Headhunters and The Secret In Their Eyes are what's most impressed in the last while. The Shawshank Redemption is for me the greatest film ever made, Cinema Paradiso the most beautiful and Nil By Mouth the most powerful.

I've also raved about gorgeous new restorations of The Italian Job, Goldfinger, African Queen, Back To The Future, O Brother Where Art Thou?, North By Northwest, To Catch A Thief, To Kill A Mockingbird and The Sting on Blu Ray - can't recommend these enough.

I'm Irish (originally from Dublin) and married with 3 grown-up kids - one of which has autism (The Beautiful Dean).

I was a vinyl rarities buyer and put-upon expert in Reckless Records (Soho, London) for over 20 years and have contributed to many of the Record Collector Rare Record Price Guides.

Currently freelance writer/reviewer. Have written four screenplays - "The Cloths Of Heaven", "Silas", "An English Lady - The Eglantyne Jebb Story" and "Full Of Grace" which I'll discuss with Film Industry Insiders.